ACTRESS Brooke Kinsella received an MBE yesterday for her anti-knife campaign – and ­dedicated the honour to the ­memory of her teenage brother who was stabbed to death.

Brooke Kinsella, flanked by Yeoman Guards, with her MBE at the Palace yesterday []

The former EastEnders star took a stand against violence after 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was killed on a night out celebrating the end of his GCSE exams in June 2008.

Yesterday, after receiving her award from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, she said: “Today is so bitter-sweet for me and my family.

“This is all Ben, it’s not me. I wouldn’t be here without him. I wish I wasn’t here, to be honest – I would rather have my brother home. I’m so proud of him, so I completely dedicate it to Ben and to every other kid we’ve lost.

“I fully understand I’m not the only person who does work like this so I’d like to be humble and recognise everybody who is ­working hard.”

Ms Kinsella, 28, in a ­silver satin Bruce Oldfield dress, was joined at the ceremony by her parents ­Debbie and George and grandmother Gloria. She also posed for the cameras with two ceremonial Yeoman Guards.

This is all Ben, it’s not me. I wouldn’t be here without him. I wish I wasn’t here, to be honest – I would rather have my brother home.

Brooke Kinsella

The actress, who played Kelly Taylor in EastEnders, set up the Ben Kinsella Trust in her brother’s memory and worked with ­politicians to combat knife crime.

The Prime ­Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May asked her to report on projects aimed at keeping youngsters away from ­violent crime on our streets.

Announcing her findings in February, Ms Kinsella said prisons needed to be tougher and called for primary schools to give ­children anti-knife crime workshops.

She has welcomed plans by Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke to automatically jail teenagers convicted of knife threats for at least two months.

“We do need rehabilitation but we also need that tough punishment discipline,” she said.